Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen): The Chief Secretary, Smt. Anu Garg, graced the valedictory session of the one-day workshop on “Safer Industries, Stronger Odisha -Technology, Innovation, Excellence in Industrial Safety”, organised by the Directorate of Factories & Boilers, Labour & Employee’s State Insurance Department, Government of Odisha, at the Auditorium, Krushi Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, today. The workshop highlighted the critical role of technology, innovation and leadership in strengthening industrial safety, contributing to the broader vision of Viksit Odisha @2036 and for Viksit Bharat @2047. The Chief Secretary stresses for industries, academicians, and the Labour & Employees State Insurance Department to work collectively towards strengthening safety in the industrial sector.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Secretary said, “Industrial safety must be treated as an uncompromising priority, both by industries and by the officers responsible for ensuring compliance. We need to be extremely careful about the procedures and best practices we put in place, how effectively they are monitored, and the priority we accord to safety, even when it involves additional cost. One simple way of reinforcing this culture is to make safety performance an integral part of every interaction and review, so that safety reports become as important as any other aspect of industrial performance.
She further added “Most importantly, we must move away from the mindset that industrial accidents are inevitable. Many incidents are the result of gaps that build up when safety is not given adequate attention or priority. Every day, we must ask ourselves how we can make our processes and workplaces safer. With sustained attention, stronger systems and collective responsibility, I am confident that we can build safer industries, safer processes and, ultimately, a much stronger industrial ecosystem in Odisha.”
The workshop was inaugurated by Shri Dodda Venkata Swamy, Principal Secretary, Labour & ESI Department, who addressed the gathering during the inaugural session. The workshop focused on promoting safer industrial practices and strengthening safety standards through technological interventions, innovation and effective leadership.
The first technical session focused on safety enhancement through technological interventions in iron and steel industries, digital interventions in aluminium smelting, and the use of technology to enhance industrial safety in coal-fired thermal power plants (CFTPP). Experts from Tata Steel Limited, Vedanta Aluminium Metal Limited and NTPC Limited shared their perspectives and industry experience on technology-driven approaches to industrial safety.
The second technical session deliberated on “Safer Industries, Stronger Odisha – Strengthening Through Leadership”, highlighting the changing nature of factories and the need for safety systems to evolve accordingly. The session also featured a presentation on “BonV: Enhanced Air Mobility” by a representative of Startup Odisha, showcasing innovative technological solutions.
The valedictory session marked the conclusion of a day-long exchange of ideas and experiences on strengthening industrial safety in the State. The workshop brought together senior government officials, industry representatives, safety professionals and other stakeholders to deliberate on technology-driven approaches, innovation and leadership for creating safer industrial workplaces.
Shri Indramani Tripathy, Director of Factories & Boilers, Odisha; Dr. M.K. Pradhan, Deputy Director of Factories & Boilers (Safety); and Shri Anil Kumar Nanda, Assistant Director of Factories & Boilers (Safety), were among the officials present at the workshop.
